Articles by Grist staff

Voluntary programs not so effective, says gov’t watchdog

Shocker: Voluntary measures to reduce greenhouse gases don’t work so well, the U.S. EPA Inspector General’s Office said Thursday. Despite the Bush administration’s adoration of the word “voluntary,” such programs have “limited potential” to actually address pollution and climate-change concerns, said the report. Too often, industries decline to spend money to participate in such programs; […]

EPA to ban pesticide carbofuran from food in U.S.

In an unexpected move, the U.S. EPA announced Thursday that it will act to ban the pesticide carbofuran from food in the United States before next year’s growing season. The EPA said the pesticide can cause “nausea, dizziness, confusion, and — at very high exposures — respiratory paralysis and death”; the pesticide has also killed […]

Snippets from the news

• Voluntary programs to cut greenhouse-gas emissions not working, says watchdog. • Judge allows some haying and grazing on conservation land. • California requires ships to cut pollution. • Brooks introduces running shoe with biodegradable midsole. • Motor fuel made from waste gets running. • E.U. says level of BPA in baby bottles poses no […]

Canada protects B.C. caribou habitat

A giant tract of land in southeastern British Columbia will become protected habitat, the Canadian government and Nature Conservancy Canada announced Thursday. The so-called Darkwoods area, purchased from a private forester, adds up to 550 square kilometers of mountains, valleys, and wetlands (that’s 212 square miles, for metric-system hatas). The area is home to endangered […]